Archive for the 'Anthrax' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

You say you've always wanted to get your hands on one of Limp Bizkit's guitars? Well, now's your chance.

Yoshiki, leader of mega-popular (in Asia) band X Japan, oft-described as the Guns N' Roses of the Far East, has gathered more celebrity items to auction off (via his Yoshiki Foundation America) to raise funds for disaster relief in his quake-stricken country. The latest batch, which goes up for bid May 16, includes ...

There's doubly great news emanating from the Empire Polo Field in Indio this weekend, where Saturday's Big 4 metal festival went down with absolute ease and phenomenal success.

Most important is that the show itself lived up to monolithic hype. Ask anyone who was there: it was undeniably awesome. Each band brought A-game firepower to this first and (for now) only union in the U.S. of the most influential powers in modern metal: the mighty Metallica, magnificent in a closing two-hour set, preceded by inspired ferocity from fellow thrash masters Megadeth, Anthrax and, most punishing of all, Slayer, still based in O.C. after all these parent-scaring, priest-horrifying, Grammy-winning years.

Granted, they all should be at their strongest right now. Never mind the significance of the occasion, which is enough to bring out the best in anyone. All of these bands have been in fighting form for a long while before heading into this titanic stateside bill. Metallica hasn't been off the road for too many stretches since issuing its trenchant return-to-form Death Magnetic in fall 2008, while the other three trekked together last year on the American Carnage Tour, often playing entire albums at various stops. Plus, it was just last June that these godfathers of speed teamed up for Big 4 appearances in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.

Of course, California being the birthplace of all but one of these bands (Anthrax is from NYC), this head-banging, circle-pit-filled takeover of Coachella grounds has considerably more meaning.

Plenty of true believers thought this day would never come. For them, the mere sight of Metallica growler James Hetfield and Megadeth mainstay Dave Mustaine embracing at the end of the night, just before members of all four groups roared through the Diamond Head cover “Am I Evil?,” was probably worth the $99 ticket price alone. (Their differences seem to be water under the bridge now, but decades ago there was considerable animosity between Mustaine and Metallica after he was replaced by Kirk Hammett, then of Exodus. Mustaine built a notable name for himself immediately after, yet even today it's hard not to hear both bands, Megadeth and Metallica, as yin and yang of the same spirit.)

April 21st, 2011, 12:45 pm by KELLI SKYE FADROSKI, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

It was a huge night for Huntington Beach metal band Avenged Sevenfold Wednesday night at Club Nokia, as the quintet took home four of the five awards it was nominated for at the 3rd annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

The band's first chart-topping release, Nightmare, snagged best album. Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance shared the trophy for best guitarist, while Mike Portnoy, a temporary replacement for the late James “The Rev” Sullivan, won best drummer.

M. Shadows was named best vocalist, beating out two of the genre's legends, Ozzy Osbourne and Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. The tattooed frontman, obviously stunned he won, uttered a quick “(bleep) yeah!” before quickly thanking the audience. (Best live band, however, went to Berlin heavy rockers Rammstein, who play the Forum on May 20.)

On top of collecting the most awards during the evening, A7X closed out the show with a six-song set that blasted the roof off the L.A. Live venue. The performance was introduced by Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo, members of one of A7X's biggest influences, Metallica.

Been wondering why there's a week off between Coachella (April 15-17) and Stagecoach (April 30-May 1)?

Well, now we know: "Together for the first and only time in the U.S.," as the event's Facebook poster proclaims, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax -- the foundation of modern metal, collectively known to aficionados the world over as The Big 4 -- will appear April 23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. Tickets, $99 for general admission, $199 for VIP, go on sale Friday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m.

It's the first time a single-day rock bash has been held on that sprawling field since Jane's Addiction topped the only one-day Coachella, in April 2001. Before that, Pearl Jam headlined a horrendously traffic-snarled show at that desert locale in 1993, back when the Seattle outfit was doing its damnedest to avoid playing Ticketmaster-affiliated venues.

This quartet of headbanging heroes (two of whom, Slayer and Megadeth, recently finished an extensive tour together) played seven such shows throughout Europe last year, yet this is the sole performance slated in the bands' home country. That's awesome news for metalheads in the Southwest ... but it already isn't sitting well with people from further away.

"Never even heard of INDIO, CA," posted one disgruntled fan just after details were revealed at 8 a.m. Tuesday, after being teased for 24 hours. "In the middle of no place," griped another. "At least if it was say Dallas, TX, I would fly in."

January 10th, 2011, 4:48 pm by KELLI SKYE FADROSKI, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The Slidebar in downtown Fullerton will host a two-night One Love for Chi benefit Friday and Saturday, coinciding with the annual NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center Jan. 13-16. Proceeds will go directly to help offset the medical expenses ofDeftones bassist Chi Cheng, who has been hospitalized in a state of minimal consciousness since a November 2008 car accident.

Friends and family launched One Love for Chi soon after to raise awareness of his condition and to collect funds to help pay for Cheng's care.

The benefit shows will feature performances by P.O.D., Dredg, Brian "Head" Welch, Imani of the Pharcyde, Phlim (featuring Dave Lombardo of Slayer), the Accident Experiment, Southtown Generals, Eyes Set to Kill, Anew Revolution and will be capped off by an all-star jam session featuring members of Anthrax, Atreyu, Papa Roach, Lit, Shinedown and more.

The reason I know this for sure is because, from my perch in the venue's stage right terrace, I had a clear view of the wall-to-wall floor crowd -- a pulsing web of flying-fist-filled mosh pits that mercilessly sucked in and spit out its participants (in the form of crowd surfers flying over the front barrier). It all overwhelmed security guards to the point that they couldn't possibly save every body that plummeted to the unforgiving concrete floor.

Of course, this type of violence is completely normal at a Slayer show -- and when you add Megadeth to the bill, placing two of the so-called “Big Four” thrash metal bands (Metallica and Anthrax complete the list) under the same roof, a little bloodshed is a sure thing.

Besides, Slayer's music -- which has pushed the limits of speed, volume and complexity since the band's formation in Huntington Park in 1981 -- is inherently a process of releasing pent-up aggression, one that the band initiated and its fans completed at this stop on the fittingly dubbed American Carnage Tour, where the quartet, now with bassist/vocalist Tom Araya back at full strength, revived its 1990 album Seasons in the Abyss in full.

Yet unlike some contemporary metal groups, such as Slipknot and Disturbed, Slayer's frenzying effect is refreshingly organic, not a result of elaborate costumes, stage setups or the goading-on of the audience. Slayer needs none of these to incite its crowd. The savage double-kick-pedal rolls of drummer Dave Lombardo during “Temptation,” the eye-popping ease with which founding guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King (above) ripped through lightning-fast tracks like “Born of Fire” and “Raining Blood,” the commanding grunts and relentless grooves of Araya on “South of Heaven” -- these were the riot-starting tools used Monday night that affirmed Slayer's continuing reign as one of metal's most overpowering outfits.

For the past two years Power 106's Comedy Fiesta has taken over Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, and usually drawn very large, even capacity crowds. All the same, this year the event is shifting locations to Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk, where the laugh-a-thon will take place Aug. 20.

Craig Robinson (the Hot Tub Time Machine co-star pictured above, currently seen hosting Last Comic Standing, and poorly I might add) along with Jo Koy and Maz Jobrani all return to the event, along with Kevin Hart, Jeff Garcia, Earthquake (wait, lemme guess ... heavy-set guy?), Joey Medina, Al Madrigal and Aries Spears. Tickets, $25.50-$75, are on sale now.

And speaking of comedy, wiseacre Demetri Martin will headline the Wiltern on Nov. 20, with tickets, $39.75, on sale Friday, July 23, at 10 a.m.

Also at that art-deco landmark are two swell indie-rock attractions: another return from Broken Bells (aka Danger Mouse and the Shins' James Mercer), Oct. 6, $27.50-$32.50, on sale Friday at noon ... and the reunion of the '93-'96 lineup of Guided by Voices, Oct. 4, right around the time that Robert Pollard and that group will appear in Las Vegas for Matador Records' 21st anniversary celebration. Those tickets, $29.50, go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.

But back to Gibson: breakout hip-hop star Drake plays there Nov. 4, with Clipse opening, $44.50-$68.50, on sale Saturday at 1 p.m. ... and the American Carnage Tour continues, arriving Oct. 21, $39.50-$79.50, on sale Friday at 10 a.m. At that show, Slayer will perform Seasons in the Abyss in full, Megadeth will tackle Rust in Peace, Anthrax will feature Joey Belladonna back on vocals, and Testament will open.

Occasional contributor Chris Young banged his head plenty at a rare gig last week from the L.A. based metal favorite. We're a little later than usual with this one, but that's how it goes with holiday weekends ...

Pointing to his clean-shaven head during Friday night's set at House of Blues Sunset Strip, singer John Bush re-stated his band's role for this capacity crowd:

"Obviously we aren't a hair metal band. I consider us a classic heavy metal band!"

Indeed, Armored Saint has become exactly that, its reputation only heightened by increasingly infrequent live appearances like this one -- the quintet has only sporadically performed in the past few years and has issued just six albums since forming in 1982. Yet the group came together once more this past weekend at the West Hollywood HOB, its only SoCal show of the year to celebrate the release of its new album La Raza. It's the first new full-length work in a decade from an outfit known to take time between albums -- prior to 2000's Revelation, Armored Saint hadn't put out anything since Symbol of Salvation in 1991.

Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan (pictured after the jump) had their dueling guitars blazing like out of control racecars for the aptly titled "Loose Cannon," while Gonzo Sandoval remained stationed on his drum riser hidden behind his double-bass kit. Bush prowled the stage, making the most of one of metal's mightiest voices; it's no wonder he was recruited to replace Joey Belladonna in Anthrax throughout the '90s.

April 7th, 2010, 2:20 pm by KELLI SKYE FADROSKI, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Mayhem, destruction, heavy metal, a few awards peppered in -- the annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards are back for the second time, with a headbanging celebration planned for Thursday night at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

“The idea behind this is to make up for the ground that hasn't been covered by existing award shows like the Grammys or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who consistently overlook heavy music,” Revolver editor-in-chief Brandon Geist said earlier this week in a phone interview.

“We're giving respect to the icons that deserve it.”

Former Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver axeman Slash, a Golden God best guitarist nominee, says he's happy to see such a prominent heavy-music function finally happening in the U.S.